Steam hoisting apparatus.



PATENTED FEB. 13, 1906. G. W. BOLLMAN.

STEAM HOISTING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED 00129. 1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l. l\ N WITNESSES:

INVENTOR 7% a 625 9Z %%%W No. 812,824. PATENTED FEB. 13, 1906. G. W. BOLLMAN.

STEAM HOISTING APPARATUS. APPLTUATION FILED Q01, 29. 1904.

' 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

mwmaosee s swozzoom WITNESSES: INVENTOR No. 812,324. PATENTBD FEB. 18, 1906.

' G. W. BOLLMAN.

STEAM HOI STING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 00129. 1904.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR No. 812,324. PATENTED FEB. 13, 1906. G. W. BOLLMAN. STEAM HOISTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION IILBD OUT. 29. 1904.

4 SHBETB-SHEET 4.

ATTORNEY WITAIESSES: INVENTOR 6541? a j/mm/fi 2 45% UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. BOLLMAN, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A COR- PORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 13, 1906.

Application filed October 29, 1904. Serial No. 230,469.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. BOLLMAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsburg, Alle heny county, Pennsylvania, have inventec? certain Improvements in Steam Hoisting Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to steam hoisting apparatus, and has for its object to increase the efficiency and safety of operation of such apparatus and to improve its construction. I will describe a hoist made, according to my invention and point out the novel features thereof in claims.

Referring now to the drawings, Figure 1 shows in side elevation a steam hoistin machine which embodies my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a similar machine with another form of my invention embodied in it. Fi 3 is a sectional view of steam cylinders, va ves, and some of their connected parts, showing them diagrammatically to illustrate the operation of my invention. Fig. 4 shows certa1n parts of the mechanism in detail.

Fig. 5 is another detail showing a modification of one of the parts shown in Fig. 4. Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively side and end elevations of details of certain parts. Figs. 8 and 9 are side and end elevations of an improved construction of gear. In Fig. 8 a part of the winding-drum is also shown.

Like reference characters designate corresponding parts in all of the figures.

10 designates a steam-engine of a ty e commonly employed for elevators an. other hoistin apparatus; 11 11 are its 0 linders, in whic t e pistons 12 12 Work. Tllese pistons are connected to the cranks 15 on a shaft 16 by means of piston-rods 13 and connecting-rods 14. attached a inion 17, which meshes with a gear 20. T is ear is made in a special manner, which I will now describe. It com rises a ring 2], on the inner surface of whic the teeth 22 are formed, and a flange 23. The flange 23 is provided with holes 24. The drum 25 of the hoisting-machine is'also provided with a flange 26 of the same diameter as the flange 23. The two flanges are turned off, so that they fit each other, and then the ring is attached to the drum by means of bolts or rivets through the holes 24. By making the gear on a separate ring as just de On the other end of shaft 16 is scribed it may be made of better metal than the ordinary cast gears, and the teeth may be cut throu h by an ordinary machinetool. The bolts being on the outside of the ring if broken cannot fall into the teeth.

The rest of the hoisting mechanism is of ordinary construction and need not be described in this specification.

The drum 25 is supported on a shaft 27, on one end of which is attached a pinion 30, which meshes with gears 31 and 32 in the arrangement shown in Fig. 1 or with a gear 31. in the modification shown in Fig. 2. The ears 31 or 31 are securely attached to t readed shafts 33 or 33. A nut 34 is on the shaft 33, and a guide 35 is provided to keep this nut from rotating when the shaft 33 is revolved. In Fig. 2 two of these nuts are shown on the threaded shaft and are designated as 34'. It will be seen that the threaded shaft will rotate in one direction or the other whenever the hoisting-drum is rotated in one direction or the other. Consequently the nut on the threaded shaft will travel from side to side as the hoisting-drum rotates and as the car or hoist is connected to the drum in the usual manner, and as the drum is connected to the traveling nut by the gearing just described the travel of the nut will be proportional to the travel of the car.

So far the various modifications illustrated are similar. I will now describe the rest of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1. In this case when the nut 34 reaches the desired points of its travel it will strike against adjustable cams 36 on a tilting arm 37, which is pivotedv to a stationary support at 38. The tilting arm 37 is connected to a bell-crank lever by a connecting-rod 39.

The bell-crank lever is connected to another lever 42 by another connecting-rod 41. 45 designates the steam or inlet pipe to the engine 10. 46 designates the exhaust or outlet'pipe from the engine 10. 45, and 44 is a valve in the exhaust-pipe 46. These valves are open when the u right arms of the bell-crank lever 40 and the lever 42- are in vertical position. When these arms are moved to one side or the other by means of the traveling nut 34 and the cams 36, these valves will both be partly closed. The cams 36'are so shaped that the valves 43 44 are not fully closed, but are only closed partially to a 43 is a valve in the steam-pipe it'is desired tocontrolthe'machinej from the certain" desired extent; I Centeringsprings 47 are provided to brjin the tilting arm 37 and its connectedpartsf, ick to central position and to open the 'valves' d 44 as soon as the traveling nut/34 has ed" away from eitherof the cams. a;

50 designates anoperatin ver. It is securely attached tda shaft 5 1 I At-another point on the shaft 51 ;1ever .52 is attached,

and .thislever'is connected to/the stem 61 of the change or reversingvalv .60 by a connecting-rod. 53." The shaft51fmaybe moved from a distance by me'a'ns' of'ropes' or other connectionseas,for-exampliwhenxthe hoist--;

ing mechanism is used'to' runan elevator and Lear, The changej-lvalve '60 is forthe purpose gine.

I passage 64.]- The exhaustep A the space outside-of; the pistons by means of.

w have passages v66 leadingifrom either end,"

of starting, stopping, and reversing the en- Fig. 3. It comprises twopistons; 62 and 63,- which are connected to the I stem 61 so that they may be movedjbyjhand-through the" train of mechanism above-described; The

steam pipe leads thesteamg to the space between the pistons 62 'd163' through the thejpassage65. :Tthe steamcylinders 11 11 which are controlled by slide-valves 67 of ordinary construction and which are operated from eccentrics oni'th crank-shaft in the well-known manner. -The' chambers68 69 and 68 69 are for, either steamor exhaust.

' the exhaust-pipe 46 and the chambers 69- When the pistons 62-fand -63 of'the'changevalve are moved up,- they fu'ncover ports which make 68 and 68s'tea'm-chambers by. connecting'them with the steam-pipe 45 "and make 69 and 69eXhaust-cham'bers by con necting them with the exhaust pipe 46. When the pistons 62 a'nd'63 are moved down, the chambers 68 and 68 are connected with and 69 are connected with the steam-pipe 45. Therefore when the operator'raises t e valve-stem 61., to which the pistons 62 and63 areatt ached, he causes the engine to start in one direction, and when he lowers'the valveclose the ports leading from the steam and the exhaust to the chambers 68,69, 68, and 69.

He can slow down the machine by. partlyclosing these ports, which will partlyi s'hut off both the supply and the exhaust. I-have de-*, scribed how tlns change-valve mayfbe moved by hand. I will now describe arraii'gei This valve-ls'shown more in detail in securely attached to the shaft 51. j j v tion on thesevarious parts is sufiicient to keep ip'e connects with dports are fully opened. esires to stop the engine,

. right or left. "tus at Will'b'y moving the shaft 51 and'its con:

ment wherebyit may be moved automatically by the movement of the machine itself. I have already shown that a pinion.30 on the end of the drum-shaft 27 meshes with a gear 32 and rotates the latter whenever the hoistingdrum rotates. The gear 32 is attached to a threaded shaft 70, similar to the shaft 33. A traveling nut 71 is placed on the shaft 7 O and arranged to move back and forth on the shaft when the latter is rotated in one direction or the other. These parts are shown more clearly in Figs. 6 and 7. The outer surface of this traveling nut ha'steeth cut in it lon- 'gitudinally, so that it forms an elongated pinion. Lugs 72 72 project from its ends, and

these are adapted to engage with similar projecting lugs 74 on adjustable collars 73. These collars are secured to the shaft 70 at desired points by means of set-screws 75. A gearsegment76 on a shaft 77 is in mesh with the traveling nut or pinion 71. This .gear-se ment 76 has an extensionearm 7 6, which is connected by a rod 78 to an arm 79, which is.

The fricthe traveling nut or pinionfrom rotating'with the threaded shaft. 70 under'ordinary conditions, so that it will move back and forth on the shaft,'a'nd its teeth will slide through-thief 95 it has moved a'longonthe threaded'sha'ft unteeth of the gear-segment. When, "however,"

til one'of'its projecting lugs 72 engages with" a corresponding projecting lug 74 on one fof the adjustablecollars '73, the lug 74, which always moves with the-threaded shaft 70,

The traveling nut or pinion,

willcausethe latter to move, and the gear segment, through its connection with the shaft 51, will move the shaft 51. It has been, shown that the shaft 51 has been moved in one direction to open the change-valve and to start the en ine. It is soga'rran ed that the action of t e parts just descri edwill move the shaft 51 back until it causes the change-valve to be closed, when the engine will stop, and consei uentlyfthe movement of the threaded sha t will stop and the whole mechanism come to rest. adjustable collars 73 may be set at any desiredv point on the threaded shaft 70, which The point corresponds to some definite point along the travel of the hoist or car, so'that this automatic action maybe brought into play to stop the hoist or car at any desired point."

I will nowdescribe the operation'of my invention as illustrated in that part .of the mechanism which has alreadybeen described. When it is desired to start the hoisting mechanism in one direction or the other,'the operator'does so by rotating the shaft 51 to the He may also stop the apparaloo, flwill'push the travelin gnut orpinion-71 around 7 with itself. "Whichis in mesh with the gear-segment 76,

LII

nected parts back to their ori inal position. These operations he may ma e quickly or slowly, so that the machine is entirely within his control. Now if he starts the apparatus in one direction and then leaves it the engine will continue to rotate the hoisting-drum at practically the same speed at which the operator had started it until the traveling nut 34 on the threaded shaft 33 comes into contact with one of the adjustable cams 36. It will then move the tilting arm 37 and its connected parts and through them partially close the valves in both the supply and exhaust pipes 45 and 46. This slows down the engine, but allows it to continue to run at reduced speed. The fact that the exhaust, as well as the supply, is partially closed causes the engine to run under more complete restraint at its reduced speed than it would if only the supply were throttled. The cams 36 are of such shape that they allow the engine to continue to run and the traveling nut to continue to move without further aflecting the valves 43 and 44 in the supply and exhaust pipes. The adjustable collars 73 are so set on the threaded shaft that their projecting lugs 74 engage'the lugs 72 on the traveling nut or pinion 71 only after the above operation has taken place. When the lugs 74 and 72 do engage, however, the motion of the drum-shaft 27 will be transmitted to the shaft 51 and will cause the latter to be brought back to its ori inal position, which in turn will cause the c ange-valve 60 to be brought back to its central or stop position and to stop the engine. Thus it may be seenthat by means of the various parts which. have been fully described I have provided an effective adjustable device for automatically slowing down a steam hoisting apparatus by partially closing both the supply and exhaust ports for the engine, and another independent device which is independently adjustable for automatically stopping the apparatus b closing or shutting ofi both the supply an exhaust ports of the engine. After these automatic actions have taken place the operator can start the engine only in the opposite direction of rotation. It will have an easy gradual start until the valves 43 and 44 have been opened by the centering-springs 47 when, the traveling nut 34 has moved away from the cam 36.

I will now describe the modification which is illustrated in Fig. 2. In this case I use but one threaded shaft 33, driven from the drumshaft 27 by means of a pinion 30 and gear 31. On this threaded shaft 33" are two traveling nuts 34 34, the upper surfaces of which are cam shaped, as shown. On one of these traveling nuts I have designated the three parts of its cam-face as 34, 34 and-34 in order to later explain itsoperation more fully; These traveling nuts are prevented from turning by a guide 35, as in the arrangement which has already been described. They therefore move from side to side along the threaded shaft 33 when the latter is rotated in one direction or the other. The camfaces of the traveling nuts 34 34 are arranged to enga e with the projecting points 81 of a peculiar -shaped bell-crank lever 80, which is pivotedat 82 and the other arm 83 of which extends into the space between two stationary lugs 54 and 5'5, which in this case are provided on the connecting-rod 53. The connecting-rod 53 is otherwise arranged, as before described.

The modifications just described operates in the following manner: The operator may start, stop, or reverse the engine and the hoisting apparatus by manipulating the change-valve 60 by means of the shaft 51 and its various connections. When he has moved the stem 61 of the change-valve up or down,

the projecting lug 54 or the projecting In 55 j on the connecting-rod 53 will be move to the projecting arm 83 of the bell-crank lever 80. Now when one of the traveling nuts 34 34 is moved along until its cam-face 34 strikes one of the pro'ecting points 81 it will move the bell-crank lever and the connecting-rod 53 part1 back toward its central position. This wi l partly close the steam and exhaust ports of the change-valve (see Fig. 3) and cause the engine to slow down. It will continue to run at this slow speed as long as the projecting point 81 runs along the horizontal portion 34 of the cam-face of the traveling nut 34; but as soon as it strikes the raised portion 34 it will be pushed up a little more and through its connected parts Will bring the valve-stem 61 back to its central position, when the pistons 62 and 63 will fully close the steam and exhaust ports and stop the engine, and consequently the whole hoisting apparatus. The traveling nuts 34' 34 may be placed at any desired point on the threaded shaft 33, so that this automatic slowin down and stopping of the engine may be made to occur at the desired part of the car travel. The space between the lugs 54 and 55 on the connecting-rod 53 provides sufficient lost motion, so that after this automatic action has taken place the operator is free to start the apparatus in the opposite direction from that in which it has been running by moving the change-valve the other 1 1 1 Fig. 4 I have shown another construction and arrangement of parts. In this case there is but one traveling nut 34 on the threaded shaft 33. The bell-crank lever with its projecting arm 83,"is pivoted at 82 in a manner similar to that before described in connection with Fig. 2. In this case, however, its lower arms,which are numbered 84, are carried out over the threaded shaft and are arranged to carry cams 86 86. Slots are provided in the arms 84, so that these IIO . cams may beadjustablysecuned'tothe arms On one of these came Irhave designated the three parts ofi its face 'a's; 86 86?, and 86, Which cOrrespo'nd. to .'-the'- three parts 34*, 34

and34 of thecam -face of the traveling-nut 34; In operation this arrangement is simi= lar to the one described inconnection with Fig; 2; The traveling nut 34comes-incontact withione of the cams 8686, and thereby causes the rejecting arm 83 to move-up-or down, as te oase-may'bef This arm may engage with lugs 54 and 55 on'the connecting-rod 53 and the operation be thesame as that previously described, or it may engage with ugs 54 and 55' onan auxiliary sliding rod 53, suchas isshowndn Fig. 4. In this case the sliding rod 53 isconnected: to-the operating-shaft 5L by a lever 52., so-that its motion is transmitted to the connectingrod 53 and tdthe 'st'eni61; of the change-valve and it'soperation-will be the same as if the projecting arm .83 engaged directly withilugs on the connecting-rod 53.- The cam-faces 86 86 and. 86? are arranged to first slow down-the engine by partially. closing both the supply and exhaust ports, allowin it. to run at s ow 'speed'and'then stopping it Iryclosing the supply and exhaust ports in the same way as before described.

It is sometimes desirable to independently adjust the slowing downandthe stopping of the ap aratus-or inrother words; to be able tovary t einteiwali durin which the engine runsat its reduced spee In Fig. 5, I have shown a simple way of doing this.

7 case the cam which is adj ustably attached to the armi84 is made in two pieces 86 and88.

'86'- has-the-surfaces 86 and 86 spondingto the surfaces 86 and 86. a

his

so-providedwith a slot 87- A- separate piece88 has the cam-surface 86". These two pieces 864 andt88 may be attached to the arm-84.by means of screws orbolts 89, and it is-obvious that they may be adjusted both as to-their; position on'the-Yarm 84: and as to their own relative position. and: that. consequently the time between the slowing down and the stepping ofsthe en ine by the automatic devices maybe varie atwill.

Many other modifications of the constructionshereinbefore described, and; shown in the accompanying drawings, may be made without: departing from the spirit of theinvention and will readily occur to the skilled mechanic without-a definite statement thereof herein. The'plan-or system of this invention enables a steam hoisting apparatus-to be controlled with agreat degree of nicety, so

that. great speeds can be attained with safety.

under. any conditions of load-and .for. varying conditions of load or speed a hoistor car can be gradually and accurately stoppedat the ends of.- its run, whereby the safety and efficiency of the'apparatus is largely increased.

Having described my invention, what I ti on." with- In. this v claim, an dl d tosecure by'L'etters Patent,

'1. ms oisiting a'p'aratusthe combinar v enginefiiaving su ply and-exhaust ports, f 'automatic means or partially closing both-supply andexhaust ports.

2. In. a hoisting. a 'Jparatus the: combination with arr. engine aving supply and exhaust ports ,1 ofgadjustable means or. partially and automatically closingf both supply and exhaustportaf i 3. In a hoisting*apparatus the. combination with anengine haying-sup ly and-vexhaustaports'; ofaafutomatic means ibr partially closing bothsupply and exhaus't ports and l y*C O ngsaid P-M e'.

4;. Inalheistingjapparat matica 1y partially closing bothisupply and exhaust ports and then fully. closing said ports.

5.. In ahoisting'rapparatus, the-combinertion with anfengine having'sup ly and exhaust ports-,. of: means for partially. closing both supply and! exhaust ports, and independent means for thereafter fully closing pinion; and means connected to said-gear and operated thereby for slowing'down or stopping the hoisting apparatus.

9.x, In a. hoisting apparatus the combination with anengine'having sup ly and exhaustports,.of'adjustable means or partially closingbothisupply and exhaust orts automatically after the engine has ma ea desired tion with'ran engine-v having supply and. ex;

haust' arts, of: adjustable'means fonau'tm ,3

number of revolutions, and independently-adjustable means for full closingthe ports and stoppingthe engine a ter the partialiclosing ofzsaidk orts.

10.. n ahoistingapparatus the combinationwith an engine having supply and exhaustiports, of an -automatic device 0 erated by'some moving partofithe machine or first partially closing both; supply: and exhaust ports and thenfully closing the ports.-

11. Inea hoisting apparatus the combination with an en; 'ne: having supply and exhaust ports, a.w1nding-drum driven by such engine, adjustable means actuated by the movement oi'the winding-drum for partially closing both supply and exhaust ports automatically after the winding-drum has made a desired movement and independently-adjustable means also driven by the movement of the winding-drum for stopping the engine after such partial closing of said ports.

12. In combination with hoisting apparatus, of a screw-threaded shaft connected to rotate in harmony therewith, a traveling pinion on said shaft and moved along the same longitudinally, limit-stops for changing the longitudinal movement of said pinion to a rotative motion, a gear continually in mesh with said pinion, and means connected with said gear to be operated thereby to slow down or stop the hoisting apparatus upon rotation of said pinion.

13. In hoisting apparatus, the combination with a hoisting-drum, a threaded shaft geared to move with the hoisting-drum, a traveling nut having gear-teeth on its exterior surface, limit-stops for said nut, a segmental gearin meshwith said nut, and means connected with said segmental gear for slowing down or stopping the hoisting-drum when the nut engages a limit-stop.

14. In combination with hoisting apparatus, of controlling means therefor, a threaded shaft, a traveler on said shaft, a lever connected to the controlling means, and a cam on said lever in the path of said nut.

15. In combination with hoisting apparatus, of controlling means therefor, a threaded shaft connected to rotate in harmony with the movement of the hoisting apparatus, a

traveling nut on said threaded shaft, means for restrictin said nut to a longitudinal movement, a Iever connected to said controlling means, and cams at predetermined points in the path of travel of said nut to effect the operation of said controlling apparatus at corresponding positions of the hoisting apparatus.

16. In combination with hoisting apparatus, of controlling means therefor, a threaded shaft connected to said hoisting apparatus, a longitudinally-traveling nut on said shaft, a pivoted lever, cams on two of the arms of said lever and in the ath of travel of said nut to be engaged by said nut at the limits of movement of said hoisting apparatus, and means coacting with a third arm of said lever for operating said controlling apparatus to slow down or stop said hoisting apparatus.

17. In combination with hoisting apparatus, of means for controlling same, a threaded shaft rotatively connected to said hoisting apparatus, nuts having cam-faces and carried by said shaft to be moved longitudinally, a pivoted lever having arms in the path of travel of said nuts to be engaged by said camfaces at predetermined times, and means 00- acting with said lever for operating said controlling means for slowing down or stopping said hoisting apparatus when a cam engages said lever.

In witness whereof I have signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE W. BOLLMAN.

Witnesses:

ERNEST W. MARsHALL, HENRY E. KIRBY. 

